Hi everyone!
My name is Stephanie Lopez, and I am super excited to be part of the Apara family! I have been with Apara since mid-September 2021! I have worked with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism over the past seven years with ages ranging from 2 years old to adulthood. I found my passion to serve the population as an undergraduate student at the University of Houston Downtown where I received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and I worked at the Office of Disability Services in campus. After graduation, I had the opportunity to grow my passion of serving the community by becoming a Registered Behavior Technician at an autism treatment center in Spring, TX where I decided I wanted to continue to grow my knowledge in the field and attended Arizona State University where I received a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis on August 2019. I have worked with the Local IDD Authority and got to learn that there is a tremendous need for Spanish speaking Board Certified Behavior Analysts, and one of my many goals is to be able to help and advocate for the Spanish speaking community to receive the services they need!
I am married to my wonderful husband Oscar who also shares my passion for helping the community. I am a huge animal lover, and we help with rescue and advocacy for our four-legged friends. I have two dogs and two cats of my own but usually have another furry friend as a foster or until I can find them a foster or rescue. I am a purple belt Brazilian jiujitsu practitioner and help with coaching the children’s classes when possible. I love to do anything outdoors and enjoy nature with my family.
I am thrilled to be part of Apara Autism Center and I am ready to continue to provide strategic direction, vision, and support to the families, children, team, and the community! I am super excited to grow with Apara and get to meet and serve all the children and families!